piracy in russia
Forbes reports on the attempts in Russian to end piracy of copyrighted works, and how it faces both legal and cultural difficulties. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry "estimates that two in every three recordings in Russia is a pirated copy."
Sunday, June 30, 2002
mr. potato head joins the police
In Arizona and Los Angeles, a new tool is being used to try to help victims of crimes identify suspects. It's software that uses a photographic database and facial recognition technology, and allows someone to pick and choose different features to construct an image of a face. Police in Arizona have nicknamed the system "Mr. Potato Head," for its similarity to the childhood toy. Software from the company that developed this application is being used in approximately 900 police departments in the United States.
In Arizona and Los Angeles, a new tool is being used to try to help victims of crimes identify suspects. It's software that uses a photographic database and facial recognition technology, and allows someone to pick and choose different features to construct an image of a face. Police in Arizona have nicknamed the system "Mr. Potato Head," for its similarity to the childhood toy. Software from the company that developed this application is being used in approximately 900 police departments in the United States.
ftc to search engines: disclose paid results
When you search at a search engine such as one of those run by AltaVista, AOL Time Warner, Direct Hit Technologies, iWon, LookSmart, Microsoft and Terra Lycos, you expect the most relevant results for your search to appear. Sometimes, though you may receive certain web sites because someone has paid a search engine to return that page when a certain keyword, or keywords are used in a query. It's difficult to tell the two types of responses apart. It's also not always clear that some or all results on a specific search engine are of the paid-for-placement variety.
A few months back, a consumer advocacy group named Commercial Alert filed a complaint with the FTC asking that the paid-for-results be more clearly identified, so that consumers could tell between web sites that were relevant responses from the search engines database, and ones that they were paid to have appear. The FTC will be asking search engines from the above companies to more clearly label search results that appear as a result of paid placement. They also asked the companies to make it easier for consumers to find out more about their pay for placement programs, so that searchers can make informed decisions regarding which sites to visit, and which search engines to use.
When you search at a search engine such as one of those run by AltaVista, AOL Time Warner, Direct Hit Technologies, iWon, LookSmart, Microsoft and Terra Lycos, you expect the most relevant results for your search to appear. Sometimes, though you may receive certain web sites because someone has paid a search engine to return that page when a certain keyword, or keywords are used in a query. It's difficult to tell the two types of responses apart. It's also not always clear that some or all results on a specific search engine are of the paid-for-placement variety.
A few months back, a consumer advocacy group named Commercial Alert filed a complaint with the FTC asking that the paid-for-results be more clearly identified, so that consumers could tell between web sites that were relevant responses from the search engines database, and ones that they were paid to have appear. The FTC will be asking search engines from the above companies to more clearly label search results that appear as a result of paid placement. They also asked the companies to make it easier for consumers to find out more about their pay for placement programs, so that searchers can make informed decisions regarding which sites to visit, and which search engines to use.
Saturday, June 29, 2002
cybersquatters and icann
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) held meetings this past week to review their practices, and to possibly reorganize their own structure. Some issues that they were considering addressing were geared towards helping businesses and people "fight extortion by speculators, known as cybersquatters." A great number of other topics were addressed, and there is coverage on many of those in the ICANN blog and ICANN Watch. (It might take a while to wade through all of these.)
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) held meetings this past week to review their practices, and to possibly reorganize their own structure. Some issues that they were considering addressing were geared towards helping businesses and people "fight extortion by speculators, known as cybersquatters." A great number of other topics were addressed, and there is coverage on many of those in the ICANN blog and ICANN Watch. (It might take a while to wade through all of these.)
what role futurists?
When the movie Minority Report was being made, ideas were solicited from futurists on what the world would be like fifty years from now. In Russia, futurists are working to try to give the Russian Federation, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) an idea of what the Volga River will be like thirty years from now. The results of the study will likely be shared with people from other geographical regions that have major waterways running through them (such as the Delaware or the Mississippi rivers).
When the movie Minority Report was being made, ideas were solicited from futurists on what the world would be like fifty years from now. In Russia, futurists are working to try to give the Russian Federation, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) an idea of what the Volga River will be like thirty years from now. The results of the study will likely be shared with people from other geographical regions that have major waterways running through them (such as the Delaware or the Mississippi rivers).
how much for the moon?
The ultimate gift in diplomatic circles at one time was a presentation of a moon rock by the U.S. Government to a country. A Florida business man who purchased a moon rock from someone in Honduras is being told that he has to relinquish ownership rights to it so that it can be returned to Honduras. The rock was officially a gift to the Honduran Government, but sometime during a string of changes in governance, it disappeared.
It was seized from the Florida man by the U.S. Government in 1998, and is now the subject of a petition for return of property under the case name "United States v. Lucite ball containing lunar material." During the dispute over who owns the rock, estimates about the value of the rock have been calculated to be in the millions of dollars. Should the government be selling pieces of the moon to people willing to spend such sums of money?
The ultimate gift in diplomatic circles at one time was a presentation of a moon rock by the U.S. Government to a country. A Florida business man who purchased a moon rock from someone in Honduras is being told that he has to relinquish ownership rights to it so that it can be returned to Honduras. The rock was officially a gift to the Honduran Government, but sometime during a string of changes in governance, it disappeared.
It was seized from the Florida man by the U.S. Government in 1998, and is now the subject of a petition for return of property under the case name "United States v. Lucite ball containing lunar material." During the dispute over who owns the rock, estimates about the value of the rock have been calculated to be in the millions of dollars. Should the government be selling pieces of the moon to people willing to spend such sums of money?
register for the news
More news sites are requiring registration to read their content. Is this a sign of things to come from media sites on the web? Will the cost of staying informed through online sources become the loss of privacy? (via metafilter)
More news sites are requiring registration to read their content. Is this a sign of things to come from media sites on the web? Will the cost of staying informed through online sources become the loss of privacy? (via metafilter)
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